Nice reporting and commentary!!! While unfortunately certain schools give status, is that really what education should be about? I agree with the sentiment that a good college education and experience are not dependent on the status of the school.
The sentiment is bang on, but the piece rings hollow with the lead anecdote. By every measurement, Johns Hopkins is a top tier school with enormous name recognition. There are plenty of kids like Sydney who end up at Buffalo honors, or Pitt, or Skidmore, or UMass Amherst because even with their stellar stats and essays they get shut out from the name-brand schools. And that’s okay, because at Buffalo honors and Pitt and Skidmore and UMass Amherst, they probably got a huge merit scholarship. Plus, the opportunities coming out of those schools are fantastic. That is the attitude we should be promoting with these kids.
While I agree with you on some level, I think there is something to be said that even though Sydney got into a top tier school, it is more about expectation and disappointment. Even if you win the brass ring by other people's standards, if they are not to your own standards you will not feel accomplished or satisfied. As I noted, both her parents were thrilled with Johns Hopkins. We have set the bar so high for kids, that even coming close to it does not feel like enough.
Specifically regarding the top tier, name brand schools, it's largely a lottery. I'm not saying that "anyone" can get in. But the pool of qualified applicants has increased so much in the past few years. Yale acceptance rates have dropped from 7.5% to 4.35% in the past 10 years. In 2007 (which is as far back as the publicly available data goes), Yale's acceptance rate was 10%. We can get into the "why" behind this phenomenon, but the point that I think you (and I) are trying to make is that parents, students, guidance counselors, etc need to re-orient the entire conversation around this new reality. As is, it's not healthy for anyone.
Nice reporting and commentary!!! While unfortunately certain schools give status, is that really what education should be about? I agree with the sentiment that a good college education and experience are not dependent on the status of the school.
The sentiment is bang on, but the piece rings hollow with the lead anecdote. By every measurement, Johns Hopkins is a top tier school with enormous name recognition. There are plenty of kids like Sydney who end up at Buffalo honors, or Pitt, or Skidmore, or UMass Amherst because even with their stellar stats and essays they get shut out from the name-brand schools. And that’s okay, because at Buffalo honors and Pitt and Skidmore and UMass Amherst, they probably got a huge merit scholarship. Plus, the opportunities coming out of those schools are fantastic. That is the attitude we should be promoting with these kids.
While I agree with you on some level, I think there is something to be said that even though Sydney got into a top tier school, it is more about expectation and disappointment. Even if you win the brass ring by other people's standards, if they are not to your own standards you will not feel accomplished or satisfied. As I noted, both her parents were thrilled with Johns Hopkins. We have set the bar so high for kids, that even coming close to it does not feel like enough.
Fair point.
Specifically regarding the top tier, name brand schools, it's largely a lottery. I'm not saying that "anyone" can get in. But the pool of qualified applicants has increased so much in the past few years. Yale acceptance rates have dropped from 7.5% to 4.35% in the past 10 years. In 2007 (which is as far back as the publicly available data goes), Yale's acceptance rate was 10%. We can get into the "why" behind this phenomenon, but the point that I think you (and I) are trying to make is that parents, students, guidance counselors, etc need to re-orient the entire conversation around this new reality. As is, it's not healthy for anyone.
Thank you for this beautiful, insightful essay. Well written and authentic, I enjoyed it’s candor.